Page 18 - CEREC Q2 | 2014

16 | CERECDOCTORS.COM | QUARTER 2 | 2014
chairside cad/cam technology is
becoming more accessible, efficient and
practical for private dental practices
throughout the United States. CEREC
is the leading chairside CAD/CAM
system used in private practice, and
CEREC treatment options are recog-
nized as long-term restorative solutions
that are provided with an efficient
treatment workflow. Both dentists
and patients have embraced these
benefits in a variety of private-
practice settings.
As with many private practice
dental patients, active duty mili-
tary members lead a demanding life-
style. One mission of the United States
Military Dental Corps is to maintain
active duty service members in a state
of dental health readiness for world-
wide deployment. Several branches
of the U.S. military, including the Air
Force, Army and Navy, have invested in
CEREC technology as an effective treat-
ment option as a part of their dental
readiness mission.
However, there is a significant differ-
ence in the implementation of CEREC
technology in private practices and
military clinics. In the military setting,
a commander or leadership group
would make the decision to acquire
the CEREC equipment and contract
for the appropriate training neces-
sary to simultaneously implement the
technology across a number of mili-
tary clinics. The military
dentists who will be clini-
cally utilizing the equip-
ment generally have not
Application of Chairside
CAD/CAM Technology in
Military and Private-practice Clinics
S T U D Y | | | B Y H E I D I N O VA K ( S E N I O R D E N TA L S T U D E N T ) ,
D E N N I S J . FA S B I N D E R , D . D . S . , G I S E L E F. N E I VA , D . D . S . , M . S .
been a party to the decision-making
process — nor do they have a financial
stake in the decision to implement this
technology.
Conversely, private practitioners
are the primary decision makers — as
well as the sole financial investors — in
acquiring and implementing CEREC.
This creates two distinct groups of
dentists, with distinct motivations, who
may implement CEREC technology in
their clinical practice.
In general, military dentists tend
to have the technology provided
for their clinical application, and
mainly focus on learning a new
restoration fabrication process
as well as gradually adapting to
a different workflow in their daily
practice.
Meanwhile, private practitioners are
likely to have to provide the technology
themselves, because it is for their own
clinical application. Therefore, they
may have concerns their military coun-
terparts do not: issues related to cost-
effectiveness, staff engagement with
the new workflow and patient willing-
ness to accept the digital restoration
approach to treatment.
The aim of this CEREC data project
was twofold:
• To determine to what extent the
health care setting influences the
clinical application of CEREC
technology
• To begin collecting information that
may lend insight as to what may
influence a dentist’s decision in the
utilization of CEREC technology
In the
military, a
commander or
leadership group
makes the decision
to acquire CEREC
equipment.
The dentists who
will be utilizing the
equipment generally
have not been a party
to the decision-making
process — nor do they
have a financial stake
in the decision.